Marketing Home Products

It’s simple. If people are interested in what you’re saying, they’ll continue paying attention as long as you’re sharing new and valuable information. And how do you accomplish this?

Below are six ways to create content that packs a punch:

1. Be simple and straight forward
o Any good copywriter will tell you that the less words, the better. But what this doesn’t mean is that you’re skimping on your marketing materials; in actuality, cutting non-essential information will make your written communications more valuable. Delete words that you deem unnecessary. Think what you want to say, say it, than edit the heck out of it.

2. Avoid jokes and corny puns
o You may think you’re the next Jerry Seinfeld, but for the sake of your audience, avoid the humor in written works. Alienating your audience with comedic tales that may not be relevant or appealing to them is a sure way of not getting their attention.

3. Make it easy to read
o Long winded paragraphs will only cause people to tune out or discount your message. Use bullet points, numbered lists or attention grabbing subheads to create flow and keep the reader engaged.

4. You’re not that important
o How many people really care how wonderful and successful your company, service or product is? What do they care about? Themselves of course! Tell them how you’re going to enhance their lives or their business. Avoid delving into your company history within the first few paragraphs or pages. You may see this as interesting, but what consumers see instead is self-promotion.

5. Be creative
o Flex your creative muscles by finding time to practice your communication skills. Use visual aids to help make content connections. Challenging yourself to think in new ways will produce innovative and fresh content.

6. Have a point
o In order to get to the point, you must have one. What are you ultimately trying to accomplish with your marketing materials: brand awareness, introduction of a new product or service…insight into the latest trends in your industry? Whatever your motivations to communicate, there must be a significant message that will benefit your readers. If you don’t have anything important to say now, wait until you do.

Interested in more ways to get on your consumers’ level? Check out our next e-newsletter (coming out September 12) where we discuss social media and how to connect with your audiences in today’s newest forms of media. Not signed-up? Subscribe Here.   or check out our Web site at www.kleberadvertising.com for more marketing articles.

Green and environmental marketing has exploded in the last year. A study conducted by TerraChoice of 12 large U.S. stores found more than 1,700 products boasting green credentials. Despite efforts by the Federal Trade Commission, green marketing claims are virtually going unchecked due in part to the commission’s lack of resources.

It’s imperative for companies not to “greenwash” and to be true to their brand and consumer promises. Those that market home products need to be mindful of this as well.

What exactly is “greenwashing”? It’s when companies, brands or products formulate ambiguous and oftentimes misleading claims about their environmental promise. The practice of greenwashing labels companies that promote a pro-environmental image without sound basis for the sake of increased sales and market share. Kmart, Tender and Dyna-E International were recently found guilty of this greenwashing.

Below are five reasons why not to greenwash.

1.  It’s dishonest!
Ironically, companies that greenwash are trying to enhance their brand image. Marketing 101 – don’t attempt to fool your target audiences.

2. The marketing strategy will inevitably backfire and decrease sales and brand image.
Companies are devoting marketing dollars to include “green” corporate messaging and logos identifiable to the America public. What they’re doing will only temporarily mislead the American public and will have negative long-term effects.

3. Consumers will become aware that these companies don’t truly care about the environment.
Some companies spend more time boasting their products or services as “good for the environment” rather than spending those same resources on practices that actually are.

4. It will alienate eco-friendly consumers.
Many companies portray an “earthy” brand and product image, even though products may be filled with chemicals that are actually harmful to the environment.

5.  It demonstrates disrespect for making the world a healthier place.
Greenwashing corporations portray themselves as environmentally conscious even though they are merely looking for an increase in sales. For the 60 percent of American consumers seeking green products and who actually care about the environment’s fate, this isn’t favorable brand positioning.

If truly interested in becoming a friend of the environment, funds should go toward research to actually create a product or service that’s beneficial to Mother Earth. Companies guilty of greenwashing should stop ‘talking the talk’ and start ‘walking the walk.’

Despite its popularity, the saying “all PR is good PR,” couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Take, for example, the recent indictment of Michael Vick. Now that’s a PR nightmare. In a country where you’re innocent until proven guilty, the court of public opinion is often where a case is first presented. When public perception and media frenzy get involved this sometimes outweighs the right to a fair trial and can ruin a career irreparably before any verdict is achieved.

Crisis communication and planning should be an ongoing activity, and although there might not always be an apparent source for concern, we must always think about the “what ifs.”

That’s where branding and the importance of marketing come into play.

Below is a basic outline when dealing, or not dealing with, a bad state of affairs.

Have a plan
Now I’m sure Michael Vick’s publicist didn’t think he was going to be the source of negative judgment by the American public; nevertheless, for those of you in the marketing business, one must be prepared for anything.

For my home industry comrades, a crisis may be defined as a product malfunction or a negatively portrayed  corporate restructure. Think the worse. It may sound bizarre to say a pessimistic attitude is key, but believe me, thinking the worse will get you far in managing a crisis.

If you have a plan, then you’ll have no problem aligning your team to implement it.

Don’t succumb to the pressure
PR reps have a terrible reputation of leaving out details to spin the truth in their clients’ favor. It’s not worth it. No matter what your crisis, lying should not be part of it.

Tell the truth and do it fast. If you do this, you have done everything in your power to help minimize the damage of the situation. If you’re not the chosen spokesperson, ensure that he/she knows that telling the truth isn’t an option, it’s a must.

Choose a competent team
In the case that a bad situation may arise, you must have a well-trained staff to answer calls from the media. Even if you’re not fully prepared to answer, make sure a statement is drafted to ensure all team members are responding in the same matter. If you can not legally comment at that time, tell the media that, but promise disclosure when it is possible. Don’t let your voicemail message answer the media calls. Ignoring the media only stirs up more controversy.

Talking points are your best friend
Sometimes a bad situation will arise before you know it. Have your ducks in a row. Determine appropriate company positioning and messaging statements to address the emergency.

Doing this establishes credibility and confidence with both internal and external audiences. Don’t let the lawyers do the talking…your primary goal is to protect the integrity and reputation of your company, your brand, or your client.

Take yourself outside of the company
When determining appropriate messaging statements remember that you’re a human being –craft your statements with human concern and emotion if appropriate.

There a multitude of reasons why a crisis can occur. Here are some frequent examples:
 Clerical error
 Human error
 Judgment error
 Inadequate procedures
 Bad R&D data

Whatever the reason behind the crisis, remember, ignoring it will only make a bad situation worse.

Practice makes perfect
If you are the communications specialist, making your CEO or company spokesperson practice those highly-anticipated “tough media questions,” will make him/her more comfortable when in front of the cameras.  If you are a CEO, this is a time when you need professional guidance.

It’s the communications professionals job to ensure that the corporate spokespeople feel comfortable in their role. Nervous or dodgy company spokespeople will only make it onto You Tube , they won’t win a medal for handling the crisis flawlessly.

Know your audience
Determine who the crisis has affected. Talk to them. No one cares about the prior success of your company and how great everyone is there; the media and the public want to know who this is affecting and what you’re going to do to fix it. Showing concern for your target audiences is the beginning of rebuilding your relationship with them.

Lastly, if you’re a company seeking a marketing agency to handle a crisis or potential crisis, make sure the agency clearly understands the importance of your company values and procedures. One size doesn’t fit all in crisis communications.

Other related articles: “Finding the Agency That’s Right for you Pays Big Returns.”